During his early career Higginbottom played the circuit of folk clubs and pubs in his native northwest. In August 1985, he was placed third in a competition at the Warwick Folk Festival. In the November of the same year, he released Songs From The Levenshulme Triangle. The following year, he performed at the Sidmouth Folk Festival, and was subsequently re-booked for 1987 and 1988. This gave Higginbottom a wider profile, and brought club and festival bookings all over England. He has since ventured further afield, playing Scotland, Wales and the Channel Islands.

His 1987 LP Flowers Tomorrow received a good response and brought Higginbottom to wider attention. The title track has been sung by a number of other performers, and the album as a whole mixed contemporary and traditional styles, with his guitar and bodhrán to the fore. More Than Pounds And Pence, released in December 1990 has helped to establish Higginbottom as a highly-regarded performer and writer. Geoff''s powerful voice is ideal for the chorus songs he loves and his act is spiced with a delightful sense of humour.

In addition to his musical career, Higginbottom has also made numerous appearances on UK television in bit parts, turning up in such soaps as Coronation Street, Brookside and Emmerdale, as well as a number of other productions.